Anyone who is anyone on social media has received a free sample of Wishful to review. Naturally, that excludes me, because it is not my life’s ambition to receive free samples.
I spent cUSD 50 on this product. It does what “Wishful” and its founder, Huda Kattan says it should – its an enzyme exfoliating scrub that makes your skin supple and smooth.
Follow this LINK for excellent photos and demonstration videos.
Why (another?) review?
Have you ever been lectured at? I frequently tell friends & family to use sunscreen as the first line of defence. I spend hours lecturing and then one day, your sibling says, “but its not sunny so I didn’t wear any sunscreen….”
Well, I am equally guilty of ignoring the obvious, including simple instructions.
On the Wishful packaging, the recommended use is 1 to 2 times a week. The underlying assumption is you wait 3 days between use (and not 24 hours).
I used the scrub on Friday and on Sunday again. This is the worst thing I could do to my face. The Sunday session reminded me why I am not a fan of exfoliating scrubs. My skin became super-tight, indicating both water loss and potential skin barrier damage. I know my skin is going to over-compensate by producing extra lipids which will make my skin temporarily oily. I will keep you posted on whether I get any zits or not.
Despite my misguided enthusiasm for a product that works, I am not alone. Online forums are full of stories where folks overuse products because of the excellent results they get the first time.
Its important you don’t go down this route, as some products (like Wishful) are effective but aggressive.
Look at the photos on my forearm: the skin is softer and there is a “glow.” There is also without a shadow of doubt, a whitening effect.
Obligatory comment on usage
Major con:
- Horrendously expensive (AED 177 or nearly USD 50)
- Strong product that needs to be used with caution
Pros:
- Extremely easy to use
- No irritation or stinging during or after normal use
- Doesn’t have a strong fragrance of any sort
- Exfoliating grains are extremely fine and I didn’t even notice them the first time I used them. This is a much superior product to Forest Essential’s Kashmiri Walnut Scrub and the Almond, pistachio cleansing paste.
- The product has a whitening effect.
The product removes the topmost layer of skin, which is essentially dead skin cells. But its dead skin that contains melanin – the skin’s inbuilt SPF – and you most certainly need sunscreen. Please use at least an SPF 30 sunscreen.
See Top Sunscreens for recommendations.
Closing remarks
Wishful’s pastel (?) yellow packaging and the holographic branding are a stroke of genius and are nothing short of brilliant. However, this is no rose water. Its a strong exfoliating agent and absolutely not for every day use or in my case, a maximum of once every 10 days. Also, people who suffer from acne should avoid harsh exfoliating agents to prevent scarring from ruptured comedones.
Use and treat Wishful with the respect it deserves.
The price point is very high and at US$ 50, I will be honest, I don’t need to buy this product again, but I will (and have)!.